Russian Invasion Not Imminent, Ukrainian Leaders Assure Citizens

Ukraine’s leaders sought Tuesday to reassure the nation that an invasion from neighboring Russia was not imminent, even as they acknowledged the threat is real and received a shipment of US military equipment to shore up their defenses, Yuras Karmanau reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians not to panic.

Moscow has denied it is planning an assault, but it has massed up an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks and is holding military drills at multiple locations in Russia. That has led the United States and its NATO allies to rush to prepare for a possible war.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin “continues to build forces along Ukraine’s border,” and an attack “would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.”

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs and tensions escalated further this week. NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the US ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe as part of an alliance “response force” if necessary.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said he is prepared to send troops to protect NATO allies in Europe. “We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine,” Biden said, adding that there would be serious economic consequences for Putin, including personal sanctions, in the event of an invasion.

In a show of European unity in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an easing of the crisis. Scholz said he wanted “clear steps from Russia that will contribute to a de-escalation of the situation.”

Macron, who said he would talk to Putin by phone Friday, added: “If there is aggression, there will be retaliation and the cost will be very high.”

The US and its allies have threatened sanctions like never before if Moscow sends its military into Ukraine, but they have given few details, saying it’s best to keep Putin guessing.

Ukrainian authorities, however, have sought to project calm. Speaking in the second televised speech to the nation in as many days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians not to panic.

“We are strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilization,” he said. The decision by the US, Britain, Australia, Germany, and Canada to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv “doesn’t necessarily signal an inevitable escalation and is part of a complex diplomatic game,” he said.

”We are working together with our partners as a single team.” Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament that “as of today, there are no grounds to believe” Russia will invade imminently, noting that its troops have not formed what he called a battle group to force its way over the border. “Don’t worry, sleep well,” he said. “No need to have your bags packed.”

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic